Minor Injuries Overview

Children's days are filled with running, jumping, bicycling, sports, and other fun activities that keep them active and "on-the-go" from morning until night. Along with the fun comes an occasional cut, bruise, or tumble. Luckily, most of these injuries are not serious and can be handled with some simple first-aid interventions at home. However, there are times when a doctor's care is needed.

Specific treatment for skin wounds and injuries will be determined by your child's doctor. In general, call your child's doctor for skin injuries that are:

Bleeding heavily and do not stop after five to 10 minutes of direct pressure

Deep or longer than 1/2 inch

Located close to the eye

Large cuts on the face

Caused by a puncture wound or dirty or rusty object

Embedded with debris such as dirt, stones, or gravel

Ragged or have separated edges

Caused by an animal or human bite

Excessively painful

Showing signs of infection such as increased warmth, redness, swelling, or drainage

Also call your child's doctor if:

Your child has not had a tetanus vaccination within the past five years, or if you are unsure when your child's last tetanus shot was given.